Machines for driving points and like fasteners, of the kind used by framers and glaziers, are well known in the art, and in some instances they employ magazine inserts to accommodate points of various sizes and shapes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,347,439 discloses a fastening tool which employs interchangeable magazines and driving blades; U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,082 employs replaceable barrel-like magazines; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,342,414 and 4,369,909 provide inserts that are capable of different orientations for that purpose.
Whereas points used for framing are desirably relatively long, to provide adequate overlap of the backing material, glazier's points are desirably quite short, to ensure that they will be hidden by the putty applied to the window frame. In both cases, the points should be relatively wide to afford good holding power, and they should be fairly thin but yet thick enough to provide adequate strength and resistance to bending or jamming in the driver.
In the ideal case, the fasteners will be driven so as to bear tightly upon the underlying glass or backing piece, which is best accomplished by inserting them from positions of surface contact thereupon. Not only should the driving machine afford that advantage, but manual machines should of course also be comfortable and nonfatiguing in use, relatively lightweight and designed for optimal hand gripping angles, durable, reliable, attractive and economical to manufacture.
Accordingly, it is a broad object of the present invention to provide a novel machine for driving framer's and glazier's points, and like fasteners, which is highly effective and reliable in use.
A more specific object is to provide such a machine which is capable of driving either of two sizes of points, and which may employ a unique, invertible magazine which is quickly and easily removed and reinserted, to accomplish that purpose.
Another specific object is to provide such a machine which is so constructed as to drive the fasteners from positions in which they are in surface contact with the glass or backing piece being secured thereby.
An additional object is to provide a driving machine having the foregoing features and advantages, which is also constructed to afford optimal angles between the operating trigger and handle frame, for comfort and nonfatiguing use, which is attractive, durable, reliable, and economical to manufacture.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel stacked assembly of framers' and glaziers' points, which are fabricated with an asymmetric edge character so as to cause deflection upon entry into the workpiece and thereby tight surface contact with the underlying glass or backing member, and a magazine which contains and supports them in proper orientation in the driving machine.